Looking back on 10 years seems a little unreal, says Juliana Calloway.
“It feels like two years ago and 20 years ago at the same time.”
Operating a small business is often a wild ride, but few can boast the roller coaster experience of Black Rooster Taqueria, which opened its little shop at 1323 N. Mills Ave. in February 2016 with Calloway and her husband, John, at the helm.
Two years later, with its local following cemented, the humble eatery earned its first mention in The New York Times’ “36 Hours” travel series, a huge coup that helped launch its recognition beyond 407-only foodies. An appearance on The Travel Channel in the same year added a second blast to the momentum that seemed unstoppable.
Then came COVID-19, which drowned so many struggling businesses. Black Rooster pulled out of the rip current, connecting folks in isolation with their door-delivered Margaritagrams.
“Things like that really pulled us through a very rough time,” she remembers.
“We are so grateful for the Mills 50 and Orlando communities, who were and are such big supporters. [To this day] we have some customers who come in two or three times a week, and that’s really special. We never take it for granted.”
The Chicken Tinga, Achiote Pork, and Smoked Beef Brisket Tacos at Black Rooster Taqueria in Orlando. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Surviving the virus made them stronger, as evidenced by the massive leaps of 2022: selection in The Michelin Guide and landing a space at Orlando City’s Inter & Co Stadium.
For Calloway, who is Colombian (“soccer is part of my DNA,” she says), it might be hard to choose which was better.
“Both John and I, when we travel, always used the Michelin Guide to choose where to eat when we could,” she explains. “We’re just a little taqueria … so for us it was and is incredibly special.”
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The same went for the counter at Inter & Co, where her family had already been season ticket-holders.
“It was already great having our family there, together, for every game, so having Black Rooster there was huge.”
Speaking of, their family has grown right along with the business.
Son, Ryder, whom Calloway calls their Chief Tasting Officer, was just 3 back in 2016. Daughter, Lily, came along a little later. Now 7, “she’s the self-proclaimed guacamole connoisseur;” she’s loved it since she was a baby.
Restaurant kids Ryder and Lilly Calloway, with their parents, John and Juliana, celebrate 10 years of tacos in Mills 50 at Black Rooster Taqueria. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Being a restaurant family, though tough, is also rewarding.
“It’s been wonderful having them come help out at the restaurant, or for special occasions like Cinco de Mayo.”
Even for those who’ve achieved it, success isn’t a guarantee, even when you put your soul into it.
“It’s a lot,” she admits. “Small business owners don’t get sick days. You’re there when you open. You’re there when you close. Weekends and holidays.”
Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel
Juliana Calloway, owner of Black Rooster Taqueria in Orlando, and her son Ryder Calloway, then 7, package Margarita-grams during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The Margarita-gram concept allowed people to send drinks and good spirits to loved ones on lockdown. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)
Her husband, she says, takes on the bulk of this burden.
“There’s no corporate office, and if something breaks, because margins are so small, John has to try and fix it. It’s been a lot.”
Case in point: Black Rooster’s Curry Ford location, which shuttered in 2024 after not quite three years in business.
“But Mills has always been going strong,” Calloway says.
That’s one constant, at least, in a decade that’s seen many changes.
On Feb. 26, Black Rooster margaritas will cost $2.26 as part of the weeklong anniversary specials. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
“We’ve seen so many places close, but at the same time, new places are opening all over,” she notes.
“As small business owners, it’s great to see that people are still taking that plunge, coming together with new ideas. I think it really speaks to Orlando’s diverse dining scene, because it is really tough out there.”
In addition to the rising costs of rent and supplies, Calloway says insurance rates and taxes have made staying afloat a tough go.
“You want to be a place that pays a living wage and takes care of your team, and it’s really hard,” she says, noting the times that owners don’t draw a paycheck at all are more often than most people know.
Black Rooster Taqueria celebrates 10 years in its Mills 50 location this week. Since opening, they’ve appeared on TV, in The New York Times and were made part of the Michelin Guide’s Orlando selection. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
“You want to keep the business going,” she says.
“We have good and bad times of the year, but we’ve been really lucky from go,” she says, again crediting the community and its support.
That connection dates back to before they even made the move from the taco stronghold of San Diego to The City Beautiful, connecting with local influencers to get a lay of the land. And making connections with their food once ensconced.
It was at an early East End Market pop-up, in fact, that they met Stephen Lofaro, a customer who’d become their opening and longtime manager, who was scarfing tacos when the Calloways ended up in the weeds.
Guac and chips at Black Rooster Taqueria. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
“He saw we needed help, turned his hat backwards and jumped back there with us. John hired him on the spot.”
Lofaro, she says, was an essential part of their growth, “and it all happened because of this event we had at East End, this local connection.”
The same went when content guru Julius Mayo Jr. (better known as Droolius online), gave them intel that an off-market restaurant space on Mills Avenue would soon be available.
Not long after, Mayo’s restaurant scene intel clued them in on a Mills Avenue location that was about to come on the market.
It was Orlando food history in the making, as the area has since exploded into a culinary hotbed. Calloway chuckles at how things change.
“When we first opened, a lot of people said we were too expensive,” she says.
Lily Calloway, 7, holds a plate of tacos at Black Rooster Taqueria, but she’s actually a self-proclaimed guac connoisseur. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Several years later, on the cusp of Michelin recognition, Orlando Magazine featured Black Rooster on a Cheap Eats roster of affordable places.
Calloway chuckles but also notes that greater awareness of things like organic corn and local sourcing has helped change perception over time.
Brand awareness, too, has continued to blossom. Black Rooster Taqueria joined the roster of brands now serving at the Kia Center in 2024, and for now, says Calloway, the plans are just to keep on truckin’.
“We love being where we are, doing things we can manage, continuing to put out new food,” she says. “We’re focusing on family, and spending as much time together as possible.”
Find me on Facebook, TikTok, Twitter or Instagram @amydroo or on the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: amthompson@orlandosentinel.com, For more foodie fun, join the Let’s Eat, Orlando Facebook group.
Black Rooster’s 10th Anniversary Specials
Feb. 26: In keeping with the date, margaritas will go for $2.26.
Feb. 27: Free guac card for every guest.
And on both days, the first 10 guests at lunch and the first 10 guests at dinner who ask (that’s key!) will receive a limited-edition 10th anniversary keychain that’s good for 10% off your entire check for the rest of the year. Limited-edition jersey-style shirts will be available for purchase ($35) while supplies last.